Shaheen touts Pease as best base for new tankers

PORTSMOUTH — U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Mayor Eric Spear visited Pease Air National Guard base Tuesday to support basing the new KC-46A refueling tanker at the 157th Air Refueling Wing.

Comment

By Suzanne Laurent

seacoastonline.com

By Suzanne Laurent

Posted Feb. 20, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Suzanne Laurent
Posted Feb. 20, 2013 at 2:00 AM

At a glance

KC-46ANew generation ofcapabilityProven platform: Based on a commercial 767. With more than 1,000 built to date, the 767 is a proven commercial airliner, freighter and tanker.Capabi...

» Read more

X

At a glance

KC-46A

New generation of

capability

Proven platform: Based on a commercial 767. With more than 1,000 built to date, the 767 is a proven commercial airliner, freighter and tanker.

Capability: Delivers more fuel at all ranges and from shorter runways, three times more cargo pallets, up to twice as many passengers and 30-plus percent more aeromedical evacuation patients than the KC-135.

Improved refueling capability: Ability to refuel all fixed-wing receiver aircraft anytime, on every mission, including simultaneous multi-point refueling, is enabled by an advanced design fly-by-wire boom based on the proven KC-10 boom, and 21st century centerline and wing-mounted hose and drogue systems.

New generation of

efficiency and affordability

Superior operation: Based on the most fuel-efficient commercial airplane in its widebody class.

PORTSMOUTH — U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Mayor Eric Spear visited Pease Air National Guard base Tuesday to support basing the new KC-46A refueling tanker at the 157th Air Refueling Wing.

This follows the Air Force site activation task force team's recent visit to Pease following winter storm Nemo.

"They experienced the fact of how well we were able to get back up and operational despite the weather," said Brig. Gen. Carolyn Protzmann, commander of the N.H. Air National Guard. "We are, after all, a Northeast unit, and we know how to take care of the snow. But it was important for them to see that operationally we got right back out without missing a beat in spite of the heavy 24 inches of snow we experienced."

Pease is one of five Air National Guard installations selected for the Air Force's candidate base list for the new tanker. The KC-46A will replace the KC-135s that the guard now flies out of Pease. If approved, Pease could begin receiving the first of 12 tankers in 2017. Each tanker has a price tag of $160 million.

"This is the best location to put the tankers because of the capability of trans-Atlantic routes and the personnel interaction of active duty and reserve guard here," said Shaheen, D-N.H. "I'm hopeful, and I know I speak for the New Hampshire delegation in terms of trying to make sure the decision-making is transparent. And, as we know how decisions are being made, we can respond and make sure that the folks in the Air Force have all the information they need as they're making this decision."

Protzmann welcomed Shaheen and Spear at the refueling wing and thanked them for continuing to reinforce "why Pease should be the first Air National Guard to bed down the KC-46A."

"We have the strength of location, the strength of efficiency, the strength of personnel and a mature association with active duty that poises us well for the future," Protzmann said. "And we have also enjoyed tremendous support from the senator and cities and towns around our community."

Pease was the third site visited for evaluation. The others being considered are Rickenbaker Air National Guard Base in Ohio, McGuire Air National Guard Base in New Jersey, Forbes Air National Guard Base in Kansas, and Pittsburgh International Airport Air Guard Station in Pennsylvania. Site visits are expected to be completed by March 1.

"They will hopefully narrow it down to two sites by May and then it will go before the board of colonels and then the chief of staff," Protzmann said.

She cited examples of what the activation team looks at during visits.

"They look at everything," she said. "The infrastructure, how we are set up, the size of our location, our location proximity to all of the operational tasks that we have, refueling routes, our fuel flow, our distribution, how big is our ramp, how big is our runway, what do our buildings look like, and what does our communication infrastructure look like."

Pease has an impressive runway of 11,321 feet, she said.

"We will have a new operations building this spring and our distribution ramp is huge," she said, adding Pease would like to be the first base to take on the new tanker. "We have been involved with (refueling tankers) since the early 1970s here at Pease, and we would like to be the showcase for this mission going on."

Shaheen said Pease has all the physical assets to support the new tanker.

"They have the trans-Atlantic routes, location and personnel with a good integration of active duty and guard here," she said. "We think there is a really good story to tell here about how Pease operates. As the general said, this is the future of refueling and we believe it's important to have some of (the tankers) here."

The KC-46A is designed to be the next generation of the KC-135 Stratotanker. According to Boeing, "the KC-46 can refuel all fixed-wing receiver aircraft, carry more passengers, cargo and patients, and offer enhanced survivability with robust defensive systems and cockpit armor protection." Boeing called the KC-46 "a mobility game changer."

"KC-135s were built in the 1950s and continue to be the backbone for refueling for the U.S. Air Force," Protzmann said. "If not chosen, we will continue to fly the KC-135."

Protzmann is optimistic about Pease being chosen to base the new tankers. "I believe we have the best location here," she said.

Spear said the site activation team was "pleased with the hospitality in Portsmouth."

"That was very encouraging to hear," he said. "But they also saw how the various pieces fit together with the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, with Hanscom (Air Force Base in Bedford, Mass.), and with other pieces geographically, and also how important it is that we maintain that collaboration among all the different bases."